To Fix A Grill
by Shimmerleaf
Summary: Step One: Mindlessly fiddle around. Step Two: Actually make sure it's clean. Step Three: Turn it on. If the above fails, repeat step one until someone manages to notice something off. Extremely belated Secret Santa gift!


A/N: I'm a bad person and I should feel bad orz. This super duper late giftfic is for **Halidom** for The Village Square's Summer Secret Santa. I should've had this done ages ago but I'm a terrible person and kept procrastinating until now. I'm really, really, really, _really_ sorry! Also, apologies for any OOCness. I haven't played any HM in I don't even know how long any more so everything was from memory. I sincerely hope you enjoy this at _least_ a little X:

Happy Leafing~

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><p>"This isn't going to work out," Luna stated, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her thin autumn jacket. "Just give up now, Luke."<p>

Another gentle breeze blew past them and she shivered slightly, already missing the warmth of summer. While it technically wasn't autumn yet the weather had begun to change, getting colder by the day. Luna wished she had worn something else instead of her usual sundress or had at least brought a thicker coat.

"Don't worry too much, Luna. You'll feel warmer once we get around to cooking and eating," Luke replied cheerfully. The seamstress only rolled her eyes and turned away from the bandana wearing carpenter, walking over to his friend instead.

A pair of blue eyes watched that exchange and as Luna walked away, they flickered over to her, watching as she complained to Bo about the inappropriate timing for a barbeque. Turning her gaze elsewhere, Candace couldn't help but wonder why she had even agreed to attend this gathering with her sister in the first place. Luke had said it wasn't a problem and that the more people there were, the merrier it would be, but she still couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.

Luke and Kasey were tending to the grill while Bo kept an eye on them with Luna next to him. Anissa and Renee were seated next to each other near the shoreline, happily chatting. Everyone had something to do while she was merely standing there, observing.

A sigh left her lips as she leaned against the rocky cliff, shifting her eyes to the sand beneath her. Autumn was coming soon and the wind was getting chillier. The warmth of the summer sun no longer reached them even though it was only about five in the afternoon. The sky had grown cloudy and grey, making her surroundings seem as if it was nearing winter instead.

"This isn't an ideal time for a barbeque," a voice murmured next to her, complementing Candace's thoughts and brought her mind back to the present.

The blue haired tailor brought her gaze up from the ground and to her right, to see Toby smiling at her. She hadn't noticed him next to her and only blinked up at him. He looked at her briefly before turning to stare at the ocean, watching as the waves collided with the shore before receding back toward the horizon.

They stood there for a while, neither of them speaking. The sounds of the waves rushing in and out along with the occasional gust of wind and the voices of their friends were the only noise surrounding them. Toby kept his gaze on the ocean and his expression never seemed to falter or change. Candace couldn't help but sneak glances at him every once in a while. The silence between them was making her nervous. She wasn't one for starting a conversation and even if she tried, her mind remained blank and her lips refused to move. Looking down at the sand once more, her hands fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Did I interrupt something earlier?" Toby asked her, finally breaking the silence.

"H-huh…?" Candace looked over at him quizzically. It wasn't like she had been talking to anyone in particular. "N-no, you didn't."

He nodded his head at her reply and pushed back the brim of his sun hat, making Candace wonder why he was standing next to her. Surely he had come with Renee, who by now was walking alone along the shore since Anissa was standing next to Kasey now. Why wasn't he with her instead?

"Luke, you're making it worse!"

"It'll be fine, Bo. Kasey and I have got this."

There was a moment of silence following Luke's declaration before sound started emitting from the grill.

"Hm, that's odd. I've never heard this particular grill make that kind of noise before."

"I'm pretty sure it's broken."

"But it worked fine last year!"

"That was then, this is now. It probably got too old."

A smile formed on Toby's lips as the banter reached his and Candace's ears. They both looked over to see everyone huddled around the grill, including Renee. Kasey and Luke were moving parts of the grill around, trying to get the flames started while the females watched, adding in their own two cents every now and then. Bo merely stood off to the side, shaking his head.

"They're pretty entertaining, aren't they?" the silver haired fisherman asked her, nodding toward their friends.

Candace followed his line of sight, watching as Luna shoved Luke aside to look at the grill herself before agreeing with Toby. There was something mildly amusing about watching the six of them trying to fix one grill. They looked like they were having fun, or at least some of them did, and while time was passing them by and the sky only grew greyer, none of them seemed to mind. It looked like they had even forgotten about the weather altogether.

"Hey Toby, come give us a hand!" Kasey called out, beckoning the fisherman over.

"Candace, you too!" Renee shouted also, waving her hand.

The seamstress looked bewildered to have been mentioned too but nonetheless followed after Toby as the two of them joined the rest of the group. The grill in question was in the center of their little circle and as Candace peered at it, she merely blinked her eyes a few times.

"Okay, I think I've got it now," Luke announced, adjusting something beneath the grill. Kasey nodded in understanding and turned a dial, staring expectantly for some flames to show up but nothing appeared.

Luna rolled her eyes as an exasperated sigh left her lips. "So much for a barbeque today. Did you even think things through before inviting everyone here, Luke?"

"It's not my fault the grill isn't working!" the older carpenter protested, leading to Bo intervening before Luna could retort.

Anissa smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. "It was actually my idea. I thought it'd be fun to have a barbeque with everyone before summer was officially over. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Kasey immediately piqued up, ready to defend his girlfriend but Luna remained silent at that confession, simply letting out another sigh.

"I'm sure we can get this thing running soon," Renee optimistically stated with a smile. Luke enthusiastically agreed and went back to fiddling with the grill with Kasey following his lead.

"Do you know anything about grills?" Toby murmured, his voice only reaching Candace's ears. Her eyes widened slightly at having him being next to her again but once more, she shook her head as a reply to him. "I don't either. My fish usually turns into sashimi or I cook them over a campfire."

That last part came as a surprise to her and she couldn't help but look at him with inquisitive eyes. "W-why over a campfire?"

He shrugged his shoulders and offered her a smile. "It's easier, especially in the summer. It's definitely inconvenient in the winter though, but the fish tastes better cooked that way."

"I-I see," she mumbled. Fish was never something Candace ate a lot, during any season, but perhaps she should try some of it, grilled that is.

"Uh, Luke? Did you clean this grill beforehand?" Bo suddenly asked, making everyone stop whatever it was they were doing.

The older carpenter looked at the farmer and both blinked at each other. "Anissa and I wiped it down before you guys got here," Kasey finally answered, "Why?"

"The inside is all charred."

"What does that have to do with it not working properly?"

Bo shrugged, not knowing the answer but reached for a rag he kept handy in his pocket anyways. "We might as well try cleaning it."

Renee and Anissa agreed and reached for the stack of napkins someone had brought, wetting them with water from the ocean. It took only a few moments for them wipe away any dirt and ashes that remained in the grill, leaving it sparkling clean. Luke grinned at them and turned the dial again, but just like earlier, nothing happened.

"How about we just give all this up and get some food at the Brass Bar? We could try again next year," Bo suggested but both Luke and Kasey quickly objected.

Watching the two of them trying to make the grill work was impressive but it was clear that most of the females were getting tired of this, especially Luna. Candace watched her sister let out another sigh as she rested her head on Bo's shoulder. Renee and Anissa were doing their best to help the two guys find out the problem with the grill while Toby merely stood next to her, overlooking the entire scene. Candace let her own eyes wander. Everything about the grill looked fine to her, especially now that they had thoroughly cleaned it. The gas tank sat beneath the whole thing with its tube connecting…

"Uhm," Candace started, unsure of what exactly to say. Her voice was soft and against the loud chatter of both Luke and Kasey, barely audible to anyone else. She turned to the person beside her and gently tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. "T-Toby, I think I know what the problem is."

"What is it?" he asked, turning to look at her with the same expression he had on his face for the entire time they had been standing together. He always seemed to look calm to her, always enjoying himself no matter what. It was something nice for her to see.

She gestured toward the gas tank. "I-it's not connected to the grill, the tube is just lying there."

Toby blinked his eyes and nodded, "You're right." He walked toward the grill and connected the gas tank to it before stepping back, suggesting Luke to try turning it on again.

To everyone's surprise, a soft _whoosh_ came from the grill and a few seconds later, flames began licking at the racks placed above the fire and a warming heat radiated from the grill.

"We did it!" Luke exclaimed happily, high fiving Kasey.

Luna skeptically raised an eyebrow but kept her mouth shut. The proof was in front of her after all. Both Renee and Anissa smiled and began getting ready the meats that needed to be cooked. Bo shook his head with a laugh and went to join his friends at the grill; he couldn't trust Luke with the cooking completely.

"This is thanks to you," Toby whispered with a smile.

"N-no, I didn't do anything!" Candace was quick to deny, shaking her head for emphasis but the praise did send a warm feeling through her body.

"It's true, no one else saw that the gas tank was disconnected. It's thanks to you."

* * *

><p>"You're burning it!"<p>

"It'll be fine, Luna, don't worry."

"Luke, how about you go eat and I'll take over?"

"Nah, I'm good. You eat some more, Bo."

The sandy haired carpenter could only sigh as Luke grinned at him, flipping another piece of meat. Most of the food had been eaten and only a few more pieces remained. The salad Anissa had brought had also been devoured already, along with the fish Renee had brought.

"What did you think of today?"

"It was a lot of fun. We should do this next year too."

"I think I'll ask Dad if he has a better grill next time."

"That'd be great. We should invite more people next time too."

Kasey, Anissa, and Renee were already planning on next year's barbeque, laughing about this year's problem with the grill as if it had happened a long time ago.

Toby walked away from the two groups out toward the shore, carrying his plate of mostly grilled fish with him. Candace had followed after him, taking her own plate with her. They walked along the shore in silence for a short while until the silver haired male stopped and pulled out a box of matches.

Driftwood littered the shore and finding a relatively dry piece, he lit it, watching as a bright orange fire began to spread. Another piece of driftwood was added to it until a small pile had formed, creating the perfect bonfire.

He smiled at Candace. "Grilled fish over a campfire tastes the best," he repeated, walking toward the ocean. "Would you like to try one?"

"Yes."

She watched him cast his fishing pole out into the ocean, waiting for something to bite. She didn't question him on where it had come from or why he had it with him in the first place. It didn't matter.

The water was sure to be cold and the sky had grown darker by now, but the fire from the makeshift bonfire and from the barbeque grill made her feel warm, as if it was still summer. It felt nice to be here at this gathering and Candace was enjoying it.

Toby pulled on his rod as something tugged on the line and Candace smiled, trying to imagine a fish being grilled over the open fire. Though autumn was approaching and summer was soon to be over, it was still perfect for a barbeque.


End file.
